Forty first-years crowded into Matthews North last Thursday hoping to see one of their classmates perform a death-defying leap off the fifth floor.

Jered E. Bush '96, better known on campus as "The Father of Bungee," had promised to jump to the crowd waiting at the bottom of the stairwell.

Bush set the crowd at ease, however, by throwing a dummy off the railing instead.

The dummy, which was attached to a chain of bungee cords, fooled some of the first-years until it hit the side of the stairwell on the way down.

"I was mad that it hit the stairwell on the first throw, because then it was obvious that it wasn't me," Bush said.

Bush threw the dummy, made of stuffed clothing and wearing a homemade "Yale"sign, from the top floor two more times.

He listed boredom as the primary reason forplanning the event.

"Well, we were all bored one night, so westarted throwing things down the stairwell," saidBush.

Bush, who had no previous experience withbungee-cord jumping, promised he would leap everyThursday night, but did not repeat the stuntyesterday.

First-years learned of the event throughposters in the Yard and announcements in theUnion.

Reactions to the event varied from seeing it asan expression of vertigo and of Harvard-Yaletension to treating it as social event.

Matthews fifth floor resident NebiyeleulTilahun '96, a foreign student, saw the event asan interesting example of rivalry between Americanuniversities.

Ethan M. Philips '96, who lives on the dorm'sthird floor, said he believes that the bungeejumping was a "release of the primal fear ofsuicide and jumping.